Shoe-buckle.



AXEL KILSTROM, OF PROVIDENCE, IRI-IODE ISLAND.

SHOE-BUCKLE- Application led August 24, 1916.

To all 'whom it may conce/rn.-

Be it known that I, AXEL Kins'rnoir, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new und useful Improvements in Shoeduckles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relatesto improvements in buckles and more particularlyy to ovcrshoe buckles.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective fastening device constructed to permit the ready attaching and detaching of its two parts.

Another object is to provide a buckle of this character having a locking tongue and equipped with means for limiting the openlng movement of said tongue, whereby it is prevented `from 'becoming inoperative through continual use.

lWith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l represents a perspective view of an overshoe known as an arctic with the buckle consti- (ating this invention shownv applied and in operative position; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the buckle members; Fig. 4 is asimilar view of the other member; and Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on Athe line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of a modified form of the invention. mln the embodiment illustrated, the buckle comprising this invention is shown in the form of two sections or members 1 and Q, one of which is designed to be secured to each side of a portion of the upper of a shoe er other article, the parts of which are to be connected', the members slidably engaging each other and having coperating means for locking them together in position to bring the sides of the shoe upper nearer together or to hold them farther apart as Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented dan. Mi, tutti..

Serial No. 116,6l4.

may be desired. These members are provided with loops 3 at their outer ends to serve as means for attaching them to the shoe by sewing or by any other preferred means.

The member l is formed from a blank of sheet metal stamped out in the usual manner forming the loop 3 above referred to and a central line of longitudinally spaced laten ally extending slot-s 4e between which are formed cross bars curved longitudinally throughoutits length and has a convex upper surface, the edges thereof being turned upward at 6 forming longitudinal grooves or channels 7 on each side thereof. The cross bars 5 of this member are preferably inclined inwardly and forwardly from their rear to their front edges to adapt them to operate as ratchet teeth for engagement by the tongue of the member 2.

The member 2 which we will term the tongue-carrying member is composed of a sheet of metal curved longitudinally and having a spring tongue 8 extending forwardly from its loop-carrying end 3, the tongue being arranged substantially parallel withthe upper face of said member and terminating at its free end adjacent the front end of the member. This tongue 8 may be either made integrally with the member :2 as shown in Fig. 6, or it may be formed separately and connected therewith as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The tongue 8 has its free end rolled inwardly to form an inturned hook 9 which is designed to cooperate with the cross bars 5 on the member l to interlockingly engage the two members and hold them in adjusted position as shown in Figs. l and 2. The front end of the member 2 below the hook 9 of the tongue is bulged outwardly as shown at 2 in Fig. 2 to adapt the hook 9 to extend through the slots 4: of the member l and reliably engage its cross bars 5. Lugs or ears l0 exi tend laterally from the opposite side edges of the tongue and project beyond the side edges of the member 2 and are designed to be engaged by the fingers for moving the tongue outwardly against the tension of its spring for releasing the hooked end 9 thereof from the cross bars of the other member.

lSlots l1 are formed in the side edges of this This member l is ot the member 2 intermediately of its ends, the terminals oi said lingers being spaced Vfrom the outer face of said member 2 a distance sullicient to permit the tongue 8 to move outwardly` a suliieient distance to disengage the hook 9 from the cross bars of the other member. The body oi" the tongue between these slots and its outer ends is bent inwardly to permit the tongue to move outward iiush with the outer t'aee oi the lingers 12. i

The edges of the member 2 in advance of the fingers 12 are rolled inwardly as shown at 13 and are designed to enter the grooves 7 of the member 1 by which grooves said members are guided in their sliding movement relatively to each other and are held thereby against lateral movement. The member 1 also slides between the lingers 12 and which operate Vas additional guides for controlling the movement oi the two members and for preventing their lateral displacement. The tongue 8 has a eut-out portion lll for lightening it and cheapening its construction.

In the use of this improved buckle, the slotted member 1 is attached to one side and the tongue-carrying member 2 to the opposite side of a shoe upper as shown in Fig. 1 and the two sides of the shoe are d awn together suiiiciently te bring these members into engagement. The slotted member is then entered between the tongue and body portion of the member 2 with the guides 13 engaging the grooves 7 and these members are moved toward each other, the hook member of the tongue riding` over the atcbet-like cross bars 5 until the members assume their desired position when said hook will spring into engagement with the rear edge of the adjacent cross bar 5 and the two members are securely locked together. When the parts are in this position, they cannot be disengaged unless the tongue is moved bodily outward to cause the hook 9 thereof to clear its interlocking cross bar and this is accomplished by grasping the lugs or ears, 10 or' said tongue and moving the tongue ybodily outward against the tension of its spring. The members may. then be readily separated. It will be obvious that the tongue is limited in its outward movement by the lingers 12 and the permanent spreading thereof is prevented which greatly prolongs the life of the buckle as in devices of this character, the spring tongues often lose their resiliency from frequent use and their excessive outward bending,

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described two members adapted to slide one 0n the other, one of said members having a plurality of longitudinally spaced transversely extending cross bars inclined inwardly and forwardly from their rear to their front edges.

a'spring tongue fixed at one end to one end oft-he other member and having a hook at its free end 'for engaging the rear edge of said cross bars to hold the members in locked position, said tongue overlying the member carrying it and disposed in a plane parallel therewith and movable laterally outward to release itfrom said bars, and lingers extending over and engaging the outer face of said tongue for limiting its outward movement.

2. In a device of the class described two members adapted to slide one on the other. one of: said members having a plurality oi longitudinally spaced transversely extending cross bars, the other member comprising two parallel superposed elements con n ected at one end and one being yieldable relatively tothe other, fingers carried by one of said elements and having inturned hookshaped terminals, the other element having slots to receive said terminals whereby the outward movement ot the yieldable element is limited.

A buckle of the class described, comprising amember provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced laterally extending cross bars inclined downwardly and forwardly from their rear to their front edges and havingslots formed between them, lon gitudinal grooves extending throughout the length oi the side edges of said member, a member having a spring tongue connected at one end thereto and extending substantially parallel therewith and provided at its free end with an inturned hook for interlocking engagement with the cross bars of said firstmentioned member. lugs extending laterally from said tongue beyondv the side edges oi the member with which it is connected. inturned laterally extending stops carried by said member. said tongue having slots with which said stops are engaged, the edges ot said member outside said slots being bent inwardly and the edges thereof in advance of said stops being rolled inwardly to provide guide edges for insertion in the grooves of the first-mentioned member, and means for connect-ing said members to the arti ele to which the buckle is to be attached.

4. In a buckle of the class described two members adapted to slide one on the other.

4one voi said members being in the form of a substantially rectangular plate curved longitudinally throughout its length and having a.. convex outer face with its edges turned laterally outward and shaped to form longitudinal channels at each side thereof, the convex portion of'said plate between said channels being slotted transversely to 'form cross bars, the other member being in the form-.of a longitudinally curved plate having an attaching loop at one end, and a spring `tongue secured at one end to the loop carryingend of said plate and arranged substantially parallel with the outer 'Face theremienne of, the free end of said tongue being rolled inwardly to form a hook positioned near the free end of the plate, the end of said plate opposite said hook being bulged outwardly to form a hook receiving recess having its side edges rolled inwardly to form hooks 'for engaging the channel of the other member, fingers projecting laterally outward Afrom the side edges of said plate intermediate its ends, the terminals of said lingers being inturned to form hooks, said tongue having slots intermediate its ends to receive the hook ends of said fingers whereby the outward movement of the tongue is limited.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set 15 my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

AXEL KILSTROM.

1Witnesses WALTER D. Nivnnr, CHARLES M. ROBINSON.

Geniet o1? thin patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente. Washington, D.

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